The Complete Guide To The Ordinary Peptide Serums: Which One Is Right For You?

Last Updated on November 2, 2025 by Giorgia Guazzarotti

What’s the best The Ordinary Peptide Serum? That’s a tough one. The hype around peptides is… well, 90% hype. When you ignore the manufacturer claims and influencers’ endorsements, there’s not much scientific proof peptides do anything special.

I personally don’t use peptides in my skincare routine. Sure, every now and then I’d try a peptide serum to see what the fuss is about or if a lot of readers request it, but they’re not a regular part of my skincare routine like retinol and vitamin C. Give me what works and keep the hype, thanks. But, I get it. A lot of you are curious to see if peptides are indeed the new antiaging powerhouses the press makes them out to be. If you’re gonna try them anyway, do it on the cheap.

That’s where The Ordinary comes in. Their peptide serums start at just £9.20, making them the perfect introduction for anyone who wants to satisfy their curiosity without breaking the bank. If they work, awesome. If they don’t, no harm done. But which one should you go for? Here’s the complete guide to The Ordinary peptide serums to help you choose the right one for your needs:

The Ordinary Argireline Solution 10% (£9.20)

Peptides included: Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 (a.k.a. argireline), a shortened peptide sequence of Botox.

What the manufacturer says it does: Like Botox, it blocks signals from the nerves to the muscles. This way, the muscles can’t move anymore. If they can’t move, expression lines (like forehead wrinkles and smile lines) look smaller.

What science says it does: According to a 2013 study, applying argireline twice a day for a month can reduce crow’s feet by as much as 48%! “In the subjective evaluation, the total anti-wrinkle efficacy in the argireline group was 48.9 %, compared with 0 % in the placebo group. In the objective evaluation, the parameters of roughness were all decreased in the argireline group (p < 0.01), while no decrease was obvious in the placebo group (p > 0.05).” Looks impressive, but there’s a catch: it is a SUBJECTIVE evaluation. Need I say more?

Side effects: Argireline doesn’t penetrate skin well. Only people with thin skin will see an improvement. If you’re young and your skin is thick, you probably won’t see any results at all. (Hint: if you didn’t go through menopause yet, your skin isn’t probably thin enough to see a difference).

Who should use it: Mature women with thin skin who want to relax their expression lines.

Related: Spotlight On Argireline: Is It Really An Alternative To Botox?

The Ordinary Matrixyl 10% + HA (£10.40)

Peptides included: Two generations of Matrixyl™: Matrixyl™ 3000 (palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7) and Matrixyl™ synthe’6™ (palmitoyl tripeptide-38). 

What the manufacturer says it does: “Matrixyl 3000™ works like the skin’s natural repair system. It has consistently demonstrated its ability to reverse chronological ageing, as well as damage caused by exposure to the sun. The anti-wrinkle efficacy of Matrixyl 3000 has been measured as equivalent to an age gain by 2 years in 1 month, and up to 5.5 years after 2 months.” In plain English, Matrixyl stimulates collagen production and reduces the appearance of wrinkles.

What science says it does: Not much. I’ve scoured the entire scientific literature and, as of November 2025, the only studies I’ve found were done by the manufacturer. They show that Matrixyl boosts collagen production indeed (at least in rats).

Side effects: A waste of money if you don’t get the results you want. Personally, I’m waiting for independent studies confirming its collagen-boosting properties before adding it to my skincare routine.

Who should use it: Personally, I’d skip this one. But if you’re already using your retinoids and vitamin C and still have money to spare, I guess you could give it a go.

Related: 8 Ways To Rebuild Lost Collagen (That Really Work)

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The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + HA Serum (£15.90)

Peptides included: Here’s a quick list:

• Matrixyl™ 3000 peptide complex (with palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7)
• Matrixyl™ synthe’6™ peptide complex (with palmitoyl tripeptide-38)
• SYN™-AKE peptide complex (with dipeptide diaminobutyroyl benzylamide diacetate)
• Relistase peptide complex (with acetylarginyltryptophyl diphenylglycine)
• ARGIRELOX™ peptide complex (with acetyl hexapeptide-8, pentapeptide-18)

What the manufacturer says it does: Let’s examine the peptides one by one:

• Argirelox Peptide Complex: It relaxes the muscles so they can’t move as well. No movement = no expression lines.
• Palmitoyl tripeptide-1: Boosts collagen production.
• Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7:It makes skin firmer and smoother.
• Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38: It increases the production of hyaluronic acid in the skin.
• Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate: Like Argireline, Syn™-Ake relaxes muscles to reduce wrinkles lines.
• Acetylarginyltryptophyl Diphenylglycine: Known as Restilase, it boosts collagen production.

What science says it does: Not much. Apart from the Argireline study I mentioned above, I couldn’t find any independent research supporting the claims for the other peptides. All the studies seem to come from the manufacturer. How frustrating!! Honestly, if peptides were really the miracle workers manufacturers claim to be, how come don’t we have more proof of their effectiveness?

Side effects: Again, peptides aren’t dangerous for your skin. It’s your wallet you should worry about.

Who should use it: I don’t really recommend Buffet unless you have the money to spare. If you’re curious about peptides, it’s a cheap way to test what they can do for you.

Related: What Type Of Peptides Work Best To Repair Skin?

The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum (£28.90)

Peptides included: Here’s a quick list:

• Copper Peptides (a.k.a. GHK-Cu/Copper Tripeptide-1)
• Matrixyl 3000 peptide complex (with palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7)
• Matrixyl synthe’6 peptide complex (with palmitoyl tripeptide-38)
• SYN-AKE peptide complex (with dipeptide diaminobutyroyl benzylamide diacetate)
• Relistase peptide complex (with acetylarginyltryptophyl diphenylglycine)
• ARGIRELOX peptide complex (with acetyl hexapeptide-8, pentapeptide-18)

What the manufacturer says it does: Copper peptides activate a lot of functions in the body, including wound healing, collagen production and anti-inflammatory responses. They keep skin in a constant state of repair. What about the other peptides? They’re the same ones in Buffet, so go read the section above. 🙂

What science says it does: A 2015 study shows that “cellular pathways involved in dermal repair and skin regeneration form an intricate and finely orchestrated biochemical network, where various regulatory molecules are involved in a cross-talk. When such an interaction is disrupted, the healing is delayed and may result in excessive inflammation and scarring. It appears that GHK is able to restore healthy functioning of essential cellular pathways in dermal repair through resetting the gene pattern to a healthier state.” In plain English, copper peptides soothe skin, help wounds heal faster and boost collagen. As for the other peptides, there’s no much proof they do anything.

Side effects: Using too much copper can have the opposite effect and make you age faster. Use the serum only a few times a week to be on the safe side.

Who should use it: If you’re past 40, are already using proven collagen boosters like retinol and vitamin C, but feel like there’s more you can do to keep your skin in top shape, investing in a copper peptide serum makes sense. Honestly, copper peptides are the only peptides I feel comfortable recommending it right now because there’s actually proof they do something (and you can’t say that with anything else!).

Related: The Ordinary Buffet + Copper Peptides 1% Full Review

The Ordinary Aloe 2% + NAG 2% Solution (£12.90)

Peptides included: This serum only contains only lonely peptide, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4. This is the original Matrixyl peptide before Sederma also made Matrixyl 3000.

What the manufacturer says it does: “MATRIXYL® visibly smoothes facial wrinkles through the reconstruction of the extracellular matrix and the dermo-epidermal junction. It also reduces inflammatory phenomena hence protecting against inflammation.” In plain English, it makes wrinkles look smaller and soothes inflammation.

What science says it does: I’ve found a study that says this peptide can boost collagen production in vitro (that’s on a Petri dish in a lab). It’s promising, but I’m still waiting for these effects to be proven in independent studies done on real humans before I give it my seal of approval.

Side effects: Again, it doesn’t have side effects for your skin. Just for your wallet.

Who should use it: Personally, I’d skip this one too. The Ordinary makes some great retinoids and vitamin C serums that are proven to work against wrinkles, so save your money for that.

Availability

The Ordinary peptide serums are available at Asos, SpaceNK, The Ordinary, and Ulta

The Bottom Line

You’ve guessed it, I’m not a fan of peptides. In 2025, 90% of peptides still don’t have strong scientific evidence supporting their anti-aging claims. Crazy, right? The only exception: copper peptides. These babies are proven to keep your skin in a constant state of repair, so that it looks younger for longer. If you’re over 40, it’s a good idea to add them to your skincare routine. As for the rest, try it if you have money to spare. Just don’t expect miracles.